Saint Patrick’s Day

By Elizabeth Barrett–

I love all holidays. I love special days that break up what can become the mundane “regular.” I especially look forward to being able to use holidays to teach my children about the faithfulness of God in redemptive history. Saint Patrick’s Day is no exception. While many use Saint Patrick’s Day as an excuse for excessive beer drinking, it is actually a day to remember the humble man God used to change the course of Irish history by bringing the gospel to Ireland. Three books have been especially helpful to our family this year as we teach our children about this early church missionary.

The Story of Saint Patrick’s Day, by Patricia Pingry is a good board book for young children. It covers the basics of Patrick’s life along with some stereotypical “Irish” customs. 

 Patrick, Patron Saint of Ireland, by Tomie dePaola and Patrick, Saint of Ireland by Joyce Denham are both great books for elementary aged kids. Both have excellent illustrations and go in to greater detail about Patrick’s life. DePaola’s book includes a section at the back that covers some of the legends of Saint Patrick. Denham takes more liberty in including these legends into the narrative. Either one would be a helpful resource for your family.

 Since we were feeling in the “Irish spirit,” my husband and I  also began watching the BBC documentary The Story of Ireland, a very thorough and interesting retelling of the history of this ancient island. Regardless of which books you use, don’t miss the opportunity to use Saint Patrick’s Day as a reminder of the rich Christian history of Ireland and of the faithfulness of the Christian missionary Saint Patrick.

 Elizabeth Barrett is Design Director of Credo Magazine. She is married to Matthew and they have two daughters, Cassandra and Georgia.